You Desire What Will Destroy You
by Star Slightly To The Right
Summary: If you pluck a flower's petals, you will never be able to take in its beauty. AU, OOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Kubo Tite owns Bleach.**

 **Warnings - death, blood, etc**

* * *

When she was a child, it was hard to know right from wrong. Her older brother, Sora, always seemed to want to do the right thing, but he was roped into something _bad_ in result. It would be very rare, but sometimes he would bring home gifts, expensive chocolates, new clothes for her to wear. And then a few days later, he would come back covered in blood with a grim look on his face.

"It has to be this way, Orihime." He told her one night after he showered, "This is the only way we can get by."

She could understand that. After all, she had to grow up pretty quickly in the world she lived in. Karakura Town wasn't a place where flowers and rainbows reigned supreme. Being only thirteen at the time, she learned a lot of things she probably shouldn't know at that age, such as - hydrogen peroxide usually helped with blood stains, it was best to not move someone if they'd been shot ( keep pressure on the wound ), and you could get a lot of money or food for a cup of clean urine. The woman that had lived below them was always sniffing or smoking something and she'd managed to land a few jobs from clean drug tests with Orihime's help ( help being her urine samples ).

Orihime didn't know much about her past unfortunately. From what Sora had told her, things weren't any better when they were living with their parents. Orihime only remembered glimpses of them - her mother's red hair and long, manicured nails and her father's boisterous voice with the smell of cigarette smoke on his breath. Sora had taken her with him once he hit eighteen, and she would be forever grateful to him. Things weren't easy when it came to money, a roof over their heads, and food, but Sora always had a plan.

He always knew what to do to get them out of a tough situation. Always.

Or - so Orihime thought.

* * *

"Please! Please, please...please, I'll do anything! Please!"

There was the sound of rumbling laughter heard around the room. Orihime's stomach twisted painfully. The thin fingers of the tall man behind her was holding her still. It seemed as if he wasn't even fazed by her screaming, her struggles. With tear-filled eyes, she watched her older brother - Sora sat across the room, tied to a chair tightly, gag around his mouth, and blood seeping from a slit above his eye.

"Please..." Orihime sobbed, voice high with hysteria, "Please...!"

"Nnoitra-kun, do me a favor and make her be quiet, okay~?"

"With pleasure." Without warning, the man behind her shoved two of his long fingers into her mouth and down her throat. Orihime trembled, gagging and releasing muffled cries as she was yanked back towards the man's chest. Nnoitra, as he'd been called, seemed amused, leaning down to her ear, "If you bite 'em, I'll give ya' somethin' else to stuff yer mouth with. Got it?"

Orihime could only let out a whimper, tears stinging her eyes once again and spilling down her cheeks. For now, she was forced to breathe through her nose. The fifteen-year-old probably looked like a mess in front of all these men. Desperately, even though it was dark within her and Sora's small apartment, she tried to identify any of them - meet eyes with anyone who dared to look at her once. She didn't have much luck though, none of them looked as if they had a shred of humanity within their gaze.

She didn't understand. She _couldn't_ understand. How much could Sora possibly owe to these people? How much would it take for them to leave them alone? Leave her brother alone, more specifically. Of course, Orihime was aware Sora was into some shady business - the blood on his clothes explained it enough. But Orihime never asked, never. A part of her didn't want to know, and she knew her brother would give her those "don't ask" eyes if she tried to ask. But she had no idea it had gone this far.

It was terrifying.

She was still trying to talk through Nnoitra's fingers, she wasn't completely sure what she was saying anymore - her head was filled with static and anxiety. Her eyes continued to dart around the room - none of them seemed fazed at all. There were at least eight of them, all much bigger than her and some taller than Sora. There was no way of running, no way of getting out of this like all those times before.

"Sorry about this - what was it again? Orihime-chan, right?" Orihime looked up, face tear-soaked and pale. The slender one with light hair, he was speaking to her. He had a smile on his face, but it was in no way welcoming or trying to offer comfort. It was as sharp as a knife. He leaned closer to her and she would've flinched away if it wasn't for Nnoitra's tight grip around her, "If we knew that school let'cha out so early, we would've hurried this up. Hmmm..." He gave a slight pout, "You can close yer eyes if you want."

With that, he pulled out a gun. It was a pistol, she presumed. Orihime watched with obvious horror as the nozzle of the gun was pressed against the side of her brother's head. Sora's expression didn't change - his eyes held hers in a serene stare.

Orihime screamed. She must've since Nnoitra pressed his fingers further down her throat. She would've thrown up if anything was in her stomach - she'd skipped lunch that day since she didn't have any money for it. The redheaded girl was shrieking and thrashing, throat raw and eyes stinging harshly.

"Get it over with, Ichimaru," groused one of their men.

"Yeah, 'fore Nnoitra ends up snappin' her neck," murmured another.

"Alright, alright~ No need to rush," Ichimaru sing-songed, his smile widening. He glanced at Orihime once, eyes opening from their slits to look at her fully. "Believe me, Orihime-chan, this isn't anything personal. Just business."

 _Sora, Sora, Sora. Big brother._

Desperately, she reached out one trembling hand towards him.

 _Don't. Don't. Please don't._

Sora's expression still hadn't changed, and slowly, his eyes closed.

 _Please—_

The gunshot rang out.

* * *

"Orihime-chan...Orihime-chan! Are you listening?"

"Eh?" Orihime's head snapped up and Rangiku Matsumoto was sure to dodge back so that she wasn't hit with that hard head of hers. "Oh, Rangiku-san, when did you get here?"

Rangiku watched her, resting her hands on her hips with a sigh, "I've been calling you from the front for the last five minutes. What're you doing back here?"

Orihime gave her a bright smile, clasping her hands in front of her, "I'm sorry, Rangiku-san! I'm just excited to get home."

Rangiku raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, "You don't get off until four."

"I know! But I'll be able to catch re-runs of Laugh Hour when I get home! It's my favorite show." The girl seemed to be in her own world, really. But Rangiku was quick to break her out of that.

"Daydream all you want when you leave, Orihime-chan. You know if Urahara-san catches you slacking off, he might dock your pay." Rangiku seriously doubted that - Urahara liked to play favorites a lot - but it made Orihime gasp almost dramatically. "Now, c'mon. I'll do your hair."

It was only ten minutes later when Orihime was done. Her makeup was done to perfection, hair falling down her back in a red-gold waterfall, and corset just pushed her breasts up more. It'd been two weeks since she joined the team. She wasn't a dancer, but she was a hostess. Passing out drinks, attending to customers, and leading them to their tables was her job. It wasn't that hard, but walking around in the heels Rangiku had allowed her to borrow ( _"How do you_ not _have a pair of heels?"_ The strawberry blonde had demanded when Orihime showed up on her first day, dressed as a nun, as Rangiku-san had put it ) was a task in itself.

Leaning down so that her reflection was in the mirror, Rangiku murmured, "You look beautiful."

Orihime could beg to differ, but there was no point in that. Everyone thought she was beautiful. Her hair reached her lower back and was a fine red. Spice-brown, wide eyes stared back at her from the mirror, framed by thick eyelashes - her gaze flickered to her plush lips, painted a sheer, light pink. With her looks and her curves, it wasn't difficult for her to get the job. Once Urahara saw how she walked in heels, he knew that dancing on the stage wasn't really in her forte and let her start off as a hostess instead.

Now twenty-one, there wasn't any way for her to depend on anyone but herself. Well, it wasn't much of a change. She'd been taking care of herself since she was fifteen. Ever since—

"Orihime-chan, it's time," Rangiku called from behind her, now already letting down her own curly locks, "You should hurry and get out there."

"R-Right," Orihime was quick to strap on her heels, standing from her seat in front of the mirror. She teetered for a second, but righted herself with little to none difficulty. She was getting better at this, fortunately. Without a backwards glance, she walked out into the club. The lounge area was already packed with different parties - men celebrating promotions, bachelor parties, or just to unwind and take a break.

Orihime had gotten used to the amount of skin she saw. Breasts, bare bottoms, long legs, everything. There was no room for embarrassment here, she'd realized. Since she'd only been there for two weeks, she only knew a handful of girls by their names, and just like her, many of them were fake - probably.

She crossed the room carefully, making sure not to bump into anyone. If she did, she would get a few nasty glares from the girls. Like Loly. Loly hated her guts, she was certain. Ever since she'd first laid eyes on Orihime, it seemed as if she had it out for her. Orihime could spot said girl across the room, topless and sitting on an older man's lap. As if she felt her gaze, Loly glared at her out of the corner of her eye.

"There you are!" Orihime blinked, turning her head to see Neliel. Her hair was curled, falling around her wildly. She must've been on the stage dancing earlier. She was dressed in ridiculously high heels, panties ( if you could call them that ), and nothing else. Orihime quickly averted her gaze, focusing on Nel's pretty face instead. The girl was beaming at her, skin shiny with sweat. "You're always right on time."

"Y-Yes," Orihime was quick to reply, "I would never want to be late." She trailed off with a nervous laugh, "Are you about to clock out, Neliel-san?"

"Well, I was planning to. I have to go see Kisuke, he might want me to stay longer, just in case. Hopefully, Yoruichi isn't back there again." Orihime blinked again - were Yoruichi and Urahara-san close then? She had absolutely no idea. Yoruichi was the dance coach of the girls, and she seemed pretty laid back for the most part. Though Orihime went to none of her sessions or small classes, the woman had always been kind towards her. "You should get to work! A couple new tables just walked in."

"Yes, ma'am!" Orihime gave her a chirpy salute.

Nel cracked a small smile, "I hope you keep that."

"What?"

"That enthusiasm. It's cute. But give yourself another week or two, and you'll feel drained. Trust me." With that, she turned away, walking away fluently and confidently like she wasn't naked in front of so many people. The lustful gazes of men followed Neliel's every movement before she disappeared from their sight, heading towards Urahara's office.

Orihime swallowed, heading towards the bar when she saw a tray full of glasses sitting there. She glanced up towards the bartender, Giriko - an older man - who was wiping down the glasses. He didn't seem interested in all the skin shown here, which made Orihime curious, but Rangiku-san had said he was just an old friend of Urahara's that could make a good drink when needed. He only worked a few select days, after all.

"Are you clocked in?" He asked, voice deep.

Orihime nodded, "Yes, sir!" He gave her an unamused look at her chippy answer, nodding his head towards the drinks. "Take that to table eleven. The far end." Orihime knew where it was, but being a newbie, she supposed she couldn't blame him for reminding her. Nodding once again, she took the tray, balancing it in one hand like Rangiku-san taught her and starting towards the table.

The place was pretty big. Two levels in total - the stage, the main floor with the back rooms for services ( the bar, the seatings for the stage ), and the upper level for more high paying customers. Table eleven was on the second level, and she quietly climbed the stairs, the music softer when she got to the top. Because of the dimmed lights, Orihime was sure to keep her footing light, she didn't want to trip over anything again.

Table eleven was at the farthest end, and a group of rowdy men were there in their own special booth. They must've paid a pretty penny to get there, drinks were everywhere, and the seats were lush and curved around. Orihime offered a friendly smile when she approached the table, placing the tray down on the table.

"Oh, look, she's pretty!" One exclaimed. He was bald. And probably drunk. The raven-haired man sitting next to him glanced over, eyes jaded before he did a double take at Orihime. "Ain't she, Yumichika?"

Yumichika raised a fine brow, "She is." He even leaned forward, around the bald one, "What's your skincare regimen?"

Orihime blinked at the question, "Eh?"

"There you go again," Across from the two sat a tall man with long red hair. He reached for one of the drinks she set down, bringing it to his lips. He glanced at Orihime once, "Don't pay those two any mind. They're drunk."

"I ain't drunk!" The bald one slammed one of his fists on the table, eyes narrowed. It made Orihime jump a bit.

"I might be," Yumichika released a giggle, pressing his free hand against his cheek, "You're starting to look more attractive, Abarai-kun." The redhead, Abarai, glared at both of them, though it didn't seem menacing. They seemed like good friends. "I wonder what's taking Ichigo so long..."

"Don't you remember?" Abarai rolled his eyes at him, "He got his own booth 'cause you two wouldn't shut the fuck up."

"...These two drinks," Orihime had failed to notice, but another man was with them, in the back of the booth and keeping to himself. He had darker skin, hair falling into his eyes, and he was even taller than the redheaded male, "are for Ichigo." He pointed towards the two clear glasses, "He's in the back."

Orihime jerked a bit - _great_ , she messed up the order. Or one of them ( Ichigo, whoever that was ), had gotten drunk and stumbled away. Whatever the case, she nodded and grabbed the tray with the two drinks and went in the direction the man had went. It was towards the back rooms - usually where men got their dances or whatever else they asked for. Orihime had never went towards these rooms, since she didn't perform any dances. She stopped at the first room, peeking within the curtains only to flinch away a second later. She didn't need to see _that_. Fortunately, the next room was better.

A man was sitting in the plush chair, leaning back and eyes closed. Orihime watched him for a few seconds before rushing to open her mouth, "I-Ichigo-san?"

The man's eyes flashed open so fast, she almost backtracked. Since she was standing a foot away from him, she was able to lock gazes with him. His eyes were brown, held small flecks of amber and gold. Surprisingly, his hair was a dark orange, a messy disarray on his head. He was also dressed in a pair of slacks, a nice white dress shirt, the first few buttons unclasped.

He didn't say anything, except giving her a look. It felt oddly heavy, boring into her. She felt a lot more exposed in front of him ( she wasn't wearing much after all ). Her gaze flickered away and she was resisting the urge to nervously start picking at her clothes. "I...um...your drinks. Your friends said you were back here and I— _Ah_!"

She didn't expect for hands to suddenly reach out and grasp her hips, pulling her towards the man without warning and brute strength. The drinks hit the floor, one of the glasses actually breaking. Orihime gasped, eyes wide, "Sir, I—" It took her a few seconds to realize she had been tugged into his lap, hands burning through the sheer material of her skirt. They were large hands, much bigger and probably rougher than hers. It was an unfamiliar feeling, to be touched at all was foreign to her. Especially by a man. "Sir...I have to..." Her voice sounded quiet, thin. "I have to clean up the mess."

He grunted a bit, leaning back in his seat and releasing the grip on her hips. Still, she was sure she didn't have permission to move yet, "...What's your name?" His voice was low and deep, causing her lips to part. He was watching her closely, dark eyes flickering over her face and focusing on her body next. It didn't take long for him to move back to her gaze though.

"M-My name?"

"Yeah."

Quickly, she scrambled through her head. What was her name here? "It's Rikka."

He raised a brow, "Rikka?"

Silently, she nodded.

"I meant your _real_ name."

Orihime's mouth felt dry. "T-That is my real name, sir."

From the look he gave her, she could tell he didn't believe her, but he didn't question it any further. Her heart picked up in speed when he reached forward and his fingers brushed against the skin of her neck. "What're these?"

Orihime's eyelashes fluttered, and she looked down to see what he meant, "Oh! That's...my brother bought those for me." The clips were attached to the plain necklace around her neck. Even though it was out of uniform, she still preferred to wear them wherever she went. He used his other hand to touch the other side of her neck, thumb rubbing smooth circles into the skin there.

It made her tummy feel warm.

"S-Sir...I have to head back—"

"Hey!" Orihime jumped in Ichigo's lap, turning her head to find Loly standing there. She was still topless and her expression looked annoyed, "What're you doing in here?" She hissed towards Orihime, "This is _my_ room! Are you stealing my clients now?!" Quickly, she made her expression as sweet as possible, giving Ichigo a smile, "I'm sorry about this, sir. There's been a mixup."

Orihime meant to scramble out of Ichigo's lap, only for the man to tighten his grip. He slanted Loly an uninterested look, "I'm fine with her, thanks." Loly's mouth fell open and Orihime's would've too, if she didn't fear looking stupid in front of him. Whether she was to entertain him or not, she didn't want to upset him at all. She could feel Loly glaring at the back of her head for a long three seconds before leaving the room with a huff.

"She's...she's going to be mad at me..."

She could feel Ichigo's breath against her neck, "Hmm..." He didn't seem that interested, flexing his thumb against a spot on her neck. It made Orihime's lips part, a breath leaving her audibly. When she realized she'd actually made a sound, she could feel her face heat up.

 _Just what was she doing?_

In a stranger's lap. Letting him touch her. Were those his lips on her neck? Was this the type of thing that happened in this room? Would he be doing this with Loly if she came first? Shakily, Orihime placed a hand on his shoulder, clenching her fingers in his shirt. His breath was warm on the skin of her neck, lips softly trailing up to her ear. Just when his hand was trailing from her waist, to her hips, and settling over the curve of her behind, a loud annoying ringing interrupted them.

Orihime was a bit thankful for that. Wherever he touched, he left a trail of heat. It felt like he burned her - but it was definitely a good type of burn. Butterflies were moving around her stomach ( maybe not even butterflies, but wasps ). With a sigh, Ichigo reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. His eyebrows furrowed and he pressed the phone against his ear the next second, "What?"

There was a voice on the other end, a male's voice. Quiet and deep. Ichigo's eyes went over to Orihime again, watching her, "I'm working on it."

While he was distracted, Orihime shakily removed herself from his lap. He didn't stop her this time, but watched her with his eyes. "I-I'll go and get your hostess..." Quickly, she left the room. As fast as she could possibly could. She even passed by table eleven, where the bald man had passed out on the table and Abarai was taking pictures of him with his phone.

Once she stopped, Orihime was standing at the bar, a bit out of breath. She was sure it had nothing to do with her small sprint, though. Quietly, she squeezed her eyes shut, wishing away the image of those brown eyes. Her skin itched, legs almost willing her to make her way back up to him. She could still feel his lips on her neck.

"Orihime-chan?" Orihime jumped, glancing to her left towards the voice. Rangiku-san was there, her expression curious. "What's wrong?"

"Rikka!" Just then, another girl came from the upper level, carrying the broken glasses Orihime had forgotten about, "Did you—"

Orihime rushed to explain, "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—"

The girl looked confused, "Hm? Oh! It's fine, Kurosaki-san explained what happened. He apologized for dropping the glasses." Orihime blinked, confused. The man had covered for her? The girl handed Orihime a few bills, giving her a smile, "He said this is for you."

Orihime held up the money with numb fingers as the girl walked away. It was a lot more than she would make in one night, that was for sure.

"Lucky," Rangiku pouted from behind her, "You must've gotten a good customer. He must like you a lot too."

From across the room, Orihime didn't miss how Loly glowered at her. Only an hour into her shift, and Orihime was already ready to go home.

* * *

 **Hi, guys! New story - I know! I'm pretty excited for this one. Warning, this will have pretty dark themes, so please be cautious while following this story. I'll be sure to put warnings. I haven't wrote anything serious in a long time, and trust me, I have a lot of plans for this one.**

 **This doesn't mean I'm abandoning my stories. Though, this one might replace _Her_. I'm still trying to decide. I'm still working on the rest of my stories, including Everything In Between and Hidden Screams, I want to get those done as soon as possible so they are my two main priorities. Especially Hidden Screams since it got the most votes to be updated. I have a bit of writer's block, I've started on the chapter, but then this idea came to mind and I've been working on this for the last few days. **

**Sorry if it's disappointing and you guys wanted Hidden Screams more. I promise, promise I'm working on the next chapter! You won't have to wait for much longer. I'm sorry if the ending to this first chapter is also a bit...rushed? I wasn't sure how I wanted to end it, so I just rolled with what came to mind.**

 **Thank you for reading and don't forget to review! It really helps a lot, guys!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Kubo Tite owns Bleach.**

 **Warnings - death, blood, sexual themes etc**

* * *

She was beyond exhausted by time she got off. Not just physically, but emotionally too.

Orihime bit into her bottom lip, knees locked and hands nervously wringing in her lap. It was quiet within her apartment building - the elevator groaned as it stopped on the first floor and opened for her. Stepping inside, Orihime pressed the button for the third floor and waited.

It was an old building, but relatively clean. Her neighbors weren't particularly polite ( on one side, she lived next to a few college guys who didn't understand the word "quiet" or "please" and on the other side, she lived next to a couple that were always either arguing or having loud _relations_ ) so she tended to keep to herself. Fortunately, with her getting home so late, it was silent. Unlocking the door, she pushed it gently out of her way. Her apartment was small as well - one bedroom, one bath, and the kitchen was connected to the sitting area. As Orihime slipped off her shoes and jacket, she plopped down onto the two-seat couch and curled up, taking in a deep breath.

 _Silence_.

It was nice. And it helped with the anxious butterflies squirming in her stomach. For some reason ( for the entire night ), she was unable to get those brown eyes out of her head. But they weren't just brown - they had dashes of amber, dark brown, light brown, a warm color that reminded her a lot of simpler times, of home. To an outsider, it might've seemed like a wild thought: he was a stranger, and he'd been a bit too rough and spontaneous for her tastes.

Not that Inoue Orihime really had any type of tastes. The only crush she'd ever had was in middle school - on her sixth grade teaching assistant. And now, she could barely remember anything about him, including his face. She'd really only developed the crush because he'd held her hand when she was scared during a thunderstorm. All she could remember about him was that he was a nice, young man.

Her lips pursed.

It was odd. He said he'd rather have her than Loly. She'd never heard anything like that before. Loly was pretty - beautiful even with long black hair, slender legs, and exotic features. Orihime had immediately been a bit intimidated when she saw how Loly walked, confidence and squared shoulders. She could only hope Loly wasn't too angry with her when she came in again.

Finally, Orihime sat up - she still had to eat and get ready for bed. If she kept falling asleep on the couch, she would get a cold. It didn't take long to shower, dress for bed, and reheat leftovers. When she sat back down, she was a lot more comfortable than before ( felt a lot better too ). Though, even as she tried to focus on Laugh Hour and her food, the same brown eyes kept going through her head.

"Ichigo," she murmured quietly to herself, "he said his name was Ichigo."

* * *

"Hey, are you alright?"

Orihime eyelashes fluttered, gaze flickering up to see Tatsuki eyeing her worriedly. Quickly, the redhead mustered the best smile she could at the moment, "I-I'm fine!" She chirped, "Why do you ask, Tatsuki-chan?"

"You look tired," The dojo-champion tilted her head slightly, "Have you been getting any sleep?"

Orihime hesitated. Since it'd been only a couple weeks since she joined the club, Orihime had failed to tell her best friend about her new job. Tatsuki definitely wouldn't approve anyway. She was well aware Orihime was tight when it came to money, but she didn't know how deep it all went. Glancing away, Orihime once again tried to give an exuberant smile, "I've been trying to stay up for Laugh Hour reruns!"

Tatsuki's shoulders relaxed slightly, her expression fond, "Oh, really?"

"Mhm!" It was easier when it wasn't particularly a lie, "I love the show soooo much, I have to see it a few times a day!"

Tatsuki seemed amused, eyes flickering over to Orihime's hand, "Your ice cream is melting."

"O-Oh!"

They sat together in the park - Tatsuki had suggested ice cream. She was only in town for a couple days, after all, so spending time together was the most important thing. Orihime's smile became slightly nostalgic, spice-brown eyes watching as the clouds spread out in the sky and the wind ruffled the trees. The taste of chocolate, the stickiness of her hands, and the sound of children laughing made her feel lighter.

"It's close, isn't it?"

Orihime blinked again, looking up to see her friend watching her, "Eh?"

"Sora's birthday."

At that, the redhead's expression lit up, "Ah! Yes, it's next month."

"I'll try to come by for it, okay?" Tatsuki reached up to pet her friend on the head, smoothing down the hair there, "I know it's important to you."

Orihime nodded. Even though things were difficult and Orihime struggled, she always did what she could for her brother. She visited his grave every week and she kept a shrine within her home for him. Things were lonely and scary without him, just like she thought they would be, but somehow, she was maintaining. Orihime could only hope Sora was proud of her.

"So," Tatsuki suddenly said, dropping her hand, "Anything interesting happen lately? You said you were looking for somewhere to work, right?"

Orihime swallowed, "I-I found somewhere."

"Oh, really?" The dark-haired girl's expression was now curious. "Where?"

Orihime gnawed on her bottom lip, eyes flickering back towards her ice cream cone, "T-The bakery. The one we used to go to all the time..."

"Really? You managed to get the job? That's great, Orihime!"

Orihime forced a laugh, but it only came out as a jumbled mess, "Ah-..." She wasn't lying exactly, but nor was she telling the truth. She had gone in for an interview at the bakery a few blocks down, but she'd only worked there for around two days before she was let go. The owner had taken a liking to her in more ways than one and it escalated rather quickly. Of course, Orihime had rejected his advances, and the next day when she came in, she was fired.

Her face must've fell because Tatsuki spoke up again, "Orihime? Are you sure you're alright?"

 _Is she alright?_ She glanced back towards Tatsuki - there was no point in worrying her friend. Tatsuki had important things to take care of; her training, her schoolwork. Orihime didn't want to place any of her problems on Tatsuki's shoulders. There was no doubt in her mind that Tatsuki would throw a fit if she knew the truth.

Finally, she managed to force another smile. It made her stomach flip. "I'm fine, Tatsuki-chan!"

 _I'm sorry._

* * *

Truth be told, she felt a little guilty after Tatsuki left.

Okay, _a lot_ guilty.

In fact, it wouldn't stop eating at her gut. Orihime wasn't even able to sleep - even though she tried everything Sora used to do ( warm tea, the old soft quilts out of the closet, humming the song they'd made together ), but nothing worked. Resolved strengthening, she pulled herself from bed.

With her shoes and her jacket, she was back out on the sidewalk before she knew it. At first, she was sure it was just for some fresh air - sometimes the air conditioner broke down and it got warm at night. But soon she was walking in a random direction, which turned out not to be random at all. After walking a few blocks, she knew exactly where she was headed.

The bakery.

The bell chimed as she pulled open the door reluctantly, stepping inside. "We're closed!" Said the owner from behind the counter, his back to the entrance. He was currently wiping down the counters, and when he didn't hear Orihime leave, he turned his head. He blinked once before a dark expression came over his face, "What're _you_ doing here?"

Orihime jerked a bit, palms sweaty. He was tall - and he intimidated her. Even though he was a good few feet away and behind the counter. "I..."

"If you don't want anything, then leave."

Before he could turn around, she rushed over to the counter, pressing her hands down against it, "Please! I just - I just wanted to talk about the open position."

He gave her an uninterested glance, "There is no open position."

"O-Owner-san—"

Finally, he turned to face her completely, allowing the rag to rest atop the counter beside her hand. He still didn't look that interested, but his eyes betrayed him - they were excited, dark. Orihime barely resisted the urge to stifle a shiver. "Why do you want it so bad?"

 _Why?_ She could give him plenty of reasons. She didn't want Tatsuki to be disappointed in her, for one. A job like this was normal, something Tatsuki would approve of. If she ever knew Orihime worked as a hostess in a nightclub - Orihime shook her head at the thought, she didn't want to imagine Tatsuki's face at that. "I...I _need_ a job." She'd put in plenty of applications and time and time again, there always seemed to be a problem. The bakery was the only place she remembered that considered her.

He leaned closer, so close that she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. Her heart rate increased. "How bad?"

After a couple seconds of hesitation, she murmured, "...What do I have to do for it?"

And in reply, he grinned.

* * *

"Orihime-chan has been acting weird lately, hasn't she?"

Neliel looked up, blinking, "Hm?"

Rangiku glanced over at her, "Have you even been listening to me?"

"I have!" Neliel protested unhappily, jutting out her bottom lip in a pout, "Geez..." Following Rangiku's line of sight, her eyes settled onto the redhead in question. Shrugging her shoulders, she replied, "Maybe this place is getting to her."

Rangiku scoffed, " _Nothing_ gets to her."

Neliel merely smiled a knowing smile, "Are you worried about her?" When Rangiku shot her a look, Neliel's smile grew into a grin, "That's _soooo_ cute, Rangiku-chan!"

"I just don't want anything to happen to her." From her years of experience within the club, she'd seen many pretty girls all come and go. Sometimes they stayed for longer than they intended, sometimes they ended up as junkies, sometimes they married a rich guy that came in the club for a couple drinks. Rangiku should be accustomed to this, she realized, as she bit at her her thumb ( she would have to get her nails done again ). But things seemed different with Orihime - she was one of those people you wanted to keep smiling.

As if feeling the strawberry blonde's stare, Orihime turned her head and waved her arm excitedly, narrowly missing hitting one of their clients in the head. The girl dropped her arm when Rangiku-san turned away, looking back to continue her conversation with Neliel. Since Orihime arrived that night, the blonde had been watching her. Even though the redhead waved off any concerned questions, Rangiku still seemed to be curious.

Orihime blew out a small sigh, trying to relax. She really needed to learn how to lie better.

"Good evening, Giriko-san," The bartender looked up, nodding once towards her. Obviously, he wasn't up for much conversation. Just as she was about to take the drinks that were set out for her, she felt someone bump into her side. Blinking, Orihime casted a look towards the side only to see Loly sneering back at her.

"Move it," she hissed at Orihime, moving past her. Even though there was plenty of space to go around.

 _So she is angry_. She should've known Loly wouldn't brush everything that happened under the rug. Pushing her long black hair over her shoulder, Loly continued on her way, only to bump right into someone else. "Ah - please excuse me, sir!" The girl was quick to bow.

"Watch where you're fuckin' going!" The customer didn't seem as forgiving as most. He had stepped from a private booth, just as Loly was rounding the corner and they had collided. Worried, Orihime lingered on the side, drinks forgotten on the bar. The man was tall and muscular, blue hair strewn this way and that on his head. He also looked like the violent type. Though, he wouldn't be the first.

It was actually a pretty normal occurrence for the men who visited the club to put their hands wherever they please - whether it be sexual or violent. Urahara or one of the security guards were usually the ones who broke everything up, though.

Loly had turned pale, carefully standing up straight, "I-I'm sorry, sir. Would...would you like for me to give you a treat...?"

The blue-haired man scoffed, appearing offended, "By you? Fuck no." His eyes were lethal, staring right through her. "Get the _fuck_ outta my way." Loly tensed, quickly shuffling around him and hurrying away. Orihime could do nothing but watch. Finally, the man's gaze flickered over to her, causing her pulse to speed up, "What're you lookin' at?"

Orihime blinked. "Ah...I'm not sure..."

His lip sneered up at that, "Fuck did you just s—" A hand touched the man's shoulder. Almost immediately, it seemed, the blue-haired man stopped, though his body seemed ready to spring at any moment. Posture relaxing, he turned his head, " _What_?"

"C'mon, Grimm," murmured someone from behind him, "No need to get all pissed. She's just'a little thing." The voice somehow sounded vaguely familiar. As he moved around Grimm ( as he'd called the volatile man ), Orihime finally caught sight of him. Her breath caught in her throat.

Standing there was a pale man. He was an inch or two shorter than Grimm. His white hair was short and wild, though it looked soft to the touch. Not only was his hair pale, but so was his complexion, he didn't look like the type of person who got a lot of sun. Or even went outside, really. His form was lanky, though he carried himself with obvious confidence. His eyes caught her completely off guard - a fine gold that was staring right at her.

And he had an uncanny appearance to the man she'd met a few days ago.

 _Ichigo_.

She must've been pretty immersed in her thought, because when she focused, the man was suddenly in front of her, all wide, scary grin and light golden eyes. She could've sworn she caught sight of a metal ring in his mouth - possibly a tongue piercing. Orihime almost jumped, eyes widening, "I—"

"Hey, Princess," he muttered, eyes locked with hers. Her stomach suddenly felt warm, "How 'bout we talk somewhere a little more private, hm?"

"Oi!" Grimm called from behind him - Orihime vaguely remembered hearing him, "We don't have time for this shit, Hichigo!"

 _Hichigo...?_

The man merely waved a hand at Grimm, offering a grin over his shoulder, "I'll just be right back." With that, he took a rough hold of Orihime's wrist, tugging her along. There was no room to fight it - for a slim guy, he really did have such a tight grip. The redhead stumbled after him, struggling to keep up. She even tried to throw Giriko a desperate glance, but he was much too focused on fixing drinks to notice. And even if she tried to scream, she doubted many would be able to hear her over the music.

Before she knew it, she was suddenly being thrown inside the custodian's closet. Orihime could already smell the cleaning supplies. The light above flickered on just as the door was closed behind him. Without giving her a chance to even muster up the courage to say anything, he was suddenly close to her.

Much closer than before. A pale hand reached up and pressed against the wall, trapping her with his body. Orihime trembled.

"I...I..."

"Mmm..." He seemed amused still, grin widening further as he leaned towards her, "What's your name?"

Orihime's lips parted at the question - his golden eyes followed the movement. "It's...It's Rikka—"

Almost immediately, his smile was gone. And it was replaced by a dark look, "Don't give me that bullshit. Your name. Your real name." His nose brushed hers, his breath touching her lips, "I don't mind forcin' it outta ya'."

Orihime's heart stuttered, pounding loudly within her ears. She couldn't help but allow her eyes to drift down to his mouth, watching as another grin spread across his face. He was much too close and tall for her to try and maneuver around him. It reminded her oddly of those nature documentaries Sora liked to watch - when a predator traps its prey.

"My name..." She swallowed thickly, "is Orihime."

" _O-ri-hi-me._ " He repeated slowly, his voice low. He used his other hand to twine a lock of her red hair around his finger. He tugged at it a bit, causing her to wince. It looked like he wanted to laugh at her reaction, "That's better. That suits you."

Her belly still felt warm. It was a weird feeling and overwhelming at the same time. She debated whether or not she should try and push him away. Before she could make a move, however, his hand left her hair and began to travel down the side of her neck. Suddenly, it felt like it was hard to breathe. His cool fingers travelled down the expanse of her throat, lingering over her pulse point before drawing a path to her collarbones. He seemed fascinated with the delicate structure of her neck.

Finally, he paused, hooking a long finger around the necklace there. The sapphire pins dangled. "What're these?"

Orihime was having an odd sense of deja-vu now. Ducking her chin, she whispered, "M-My brother gave those to me."

He seemed interested in that, his head tilting. This caused white strands to fall over his eyes, making him appear even more handsome. Orihime clenched her hands in her skirt, the knuckles white. When he raised his eyes back to hers, the grin there seemed even more predatory than before.

"Orihime, is it alright if I ask ya' a couple questions?"

For some reason, it didn't feel like she had much of a choice.

* * *

 **Hey, guys! You're probably wondering where I'm taking this story but - you guys probably won't know until later chapters! I want to keep the mystery going, a lot of twists and turns I have planned for this. Anyone wondering who Hichigo is? And his relation with Ichigo? I'm guessing you guys already have a good idea! I hope you guys like where I'm taking this so far! Please be warned again, this fic will have dark themes, so don't expect anything different.**

 **Thank you for reading, really! I'm so glad to be welcomed with open arms like this, even though I left for so long. Everything In Between and Hidden Screams are being worked on. I'm sorry, I just keep having muse for this. I'm currently experiencing writers block on the Hidden Screams chapter, but trust me, it's coming guys! I won't let you wait much longer!**

 **And don't forget to review! Any characters you want to see, questions, anything! I love hearing you guys opinions and thoughts on things! Please excuse any typos or errors, as well! Also, please hold me, Bleach is ending soon!**


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